Brigadier General Harry J. Dalton Jr. is director of public affairs, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C.
General Dalton was born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1927. He graduated from high school in San Antonio in 1945. He then attended the University of Texas in Austin, Texas, majoring in advertising and graduated with a bachelor of business administration degree in June 1949. He attended graduate school from 1949 to 1950. In January 1950 he completed the Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps program as a distinguished military graduate and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Force Reserve.
When the Korean War began he volunteered for active duty and was assigned in August 1950 as assistant public information officer at March Air Force Base, Calif. The following year he moved with the 44th Bombardment Wing to Lake Charles Air Force Base, La., as the wing public information officer. In June 1953 he was assigned as information services officer at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., headquarters of the Strategic Air Command.
In July 1955 General Dalton was assigned to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, where he served as director of information and special assistant to the commander of the 3rd Air Division. He returned to the United States in July 1957 for assignment to the SAC Directorate of Information where he held successive jobs in the Internal Information, Plans and Liaison, and Public Information Divisions.
In September 1960 he became a plans officer in the Office of Information, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. In January 1963 he was named special assistant to the Air Force director of information.
He attended the Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va., from January to June 1965. He was next assigned as executive assistant in the Office of the Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Wiesbaden, Germany. In September 1966 he become chief, Public Communications Division, Office of Information, at USAFE headquarters.
General Dalton transferred to Vietnam in July 1968 where he served as executive to the chief of information at the U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam until July 1969. During this assignment he flew 32 combat missions in a variety of aircraft as a combat aerial photographer.
He was assigned as a plans officer in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) from August 1969 to June 1972. As such he was the principal public affairs planner for matters pertaining to prisoners of war and those missing in action. In this capacity he served as chairman of the Department of Defense POW/MIA Public Affairs Panel and as a member of the DOD POW/MIA Task Group and the White House POW Group.
In June 1972 he was named director of information for Air Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.
General Dalton was assigned as deputy director of information, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, March 17, 1975, and assumed the duties of director of information Dec. 17, 1975. The organization title and his position title were redesignated in October 1979.
His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal with "V" device and oak leaf cluster, Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Republic of Vietnam Honor Medal 1st Class and Republic of Korea Order of National Security Merit (Cheonsu) Medal.
The general is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America and is listed in "Who's Who in the South and Southwest." He was chosen in 1974 by the Aviation/Space Writers Association as the outstanding public information officer in the military.
He was promoted to brigadier general Dec. 15, 1975, with date of rank Dec. 4, 1975.
(Current as of October 1979)